3 things we learned from the spectacular win by Gotham FC against LD Alajuelense

The busy year continued on Thursday night when NJ/NY Gotham FC played their first-ever CONCACAF W Champions Cup game.  The Bats opened their journey with a match against Liga Deportiva Alajuelense Femenil, or Alajuelense Fútbol Femenino.  The Costa Rican team is one of the best in the Central American country and currently sits in first place in their league.

Meanwhile, Gotham FC wanted to bounce back from their loss against the Orlando Pride.  The good news is that they did not play poorly over the weekend.  Rather, they made two mistakes that led to the goals and could not find the back of the net.  Hence, it was thought the NJ/NY side could come out on top against LD Alajuelense as long as they scored.

And guess what?  For the first time in 2024, Gotham FC scored four goals to win 4-0.  The Bats outplayed Alajuelense for most of the match, controlling the pace of play.  Plus, the different defense from the weekend did well in limiting the Costa Rican team’s opportunities.

As always, there is plenty to talk about.  Here are three things we learned from Gotham FC’s match against LD Alajuelense.

3 things we learned from Gotham FC’s superb win

1. Bruninha was spectacular

There were many players that played extremely well during the Alajuelense match.  However, Bruninha was spectacular during her time on the pitch.  The Brazilian keeps on proving game in and game out why she needs to play.

On Thursday, the right-back played as a right-winger in the first half.  With Mandy Freeman behind her, Bruninha illuminated her ability to play in multiple positions, including the attack.  She moved the ball into the box often and constantly searched for an open teammate.  She also took a good amount of the set pieces, increasing the offensive opportunities.

Bruninha might not have a goal or assist to her name against the Costa Rican team, but she was a major part of why Gotham FC won 4-0.

2. Gotham FC finally scores four

In the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup, Gotham FC finally scored three goals when they beat Chivas in the group round.  Before then, they only scored two or fewer goals, which is still true in the NWSL.

Now, Gotham proved they have the scoring talent where they can score four.  Some people might argue that LD Alajuelense does not play at the same level as the NWSL teams.  However, there is a reason they are in first place in their league and have had plenty of success.  The home side has talented players and was not a walk in the park.  Rather, the Bats unlocked the key and outplayed them.

Scoring four should hopefully cause the NJ/NY team to increase their scoring output.  Four different players were responsible for the goals, so ideally this will boost the scoring confidence.  Although, capitalizing on goal-scoring chances is really the issue.  Perhaps this match will mark a change.

3. Yazmeen Ryan’s red card should not have happened

When Yazmeen Ryan came on as a substitute, it was thought the winger would be an impactful player for Gotham FC.  And she was until she received the second yellow card.  This led to her being sent off since two yellows led to a red card.

This should not have happened.  Yes, the forward deserved both yellow cards.  The Bats had a 4-0 lead though, so there was no reason to be reckless when she was trying to regain the possession.  The NJ/NY team did not require the physicality level at which she was playing.  More importantly, Ryan should have known better and should have not gone in for the second foul that led to the red card.

Nevertheless, things like that will happen.  Gotham FC still won and did not allow a goal from LD Alajuelense.  This was a successful win, and the result puts them at the top of Group A.